Unit 2: Part 4 Literary Terms

Narrative poetry tells a story and has the same literary elements as works of prose fiction.

Dramatic poetry uses the techniques of drama to present the speech of one or more characters in verse form.

Lyric poetry expresses the thoughts and feelings of a single speaker.

Meter, the regular pattern of beats in a line, is one aspect of poetic sound.

• rhyme, the repetition of sounds at the ends of words (leaf and brief)

• consonance, the repetition of final consonant sounds (speak and break)

• assonance, repetition of similar vowel sounds (shade and ray)

Imagery: language that appeals to the senses, creating word pictures that help to express meaning.

Figurative language is language used imaginatively rather than literally.

Alliteration: repetition of initial identical consonant sounds in accented syllables

Simile and Metaphor: figures of speech that compare two apparently unlike things. Similes use a connecting word (like or as); metaphors do not.

Simile and Metaphor: figures of speech that compare two apparently unlike things. Similes use a connecting word (like or as); metaphors do not.

Another hallmark of Dickinson's style is her fondness for paradox. A paradox is a statement that seems contradictory but actually presents a truth.

Traditional epic poetry tells a long story about a hero whose adventures embody the values of a nation.

Whitman's style is marked by specific structural and poetic elements that contribute to a sense of epic sweep...

Unlike formal verse, which has strict rules, free verse has irregular meter and line length and sounds like natural speech.

Whitman's use of catalogues, or lists, of people, objects, or situations, evokes the infinite range of elements that make up human experience.

Anaphora, or the repetition of phrases or sentences with similar structures or meanings: In the preface to Leaves of Grass, Whitman writes that America "perceives that the corpse" of old ideas is being moved out of the "house" of the national literature.

Diction, or word choice: In the example used to illustrate anaphora above, the words fittest and heir enhance the passage's biblical quality.

Onomatopoeia, or words whose sounds imitate their meanings: Whitman's use of words like grunting, gab, and yawp give his poetry an earthy quality, while also suggesting that his ideas transcend language itself.

For each numbered item, choose the letter of its antonym, or word that expresses an opposite meaning.

A blog is a forum for writing that is part of a web site.

Denotations are the literal meanings of words, as opposed to their connotative meanings, which are the emotional associations the words bring forth.

Voice is partly based on tone, the attitude you express toward your subject; and diction, your choice and arrangement of words.

Then, determine your thesis—your specific position or claim.

To prove a position, use a logical argument that relies on facts and sound reasoning.

To gain your audience's trust, use an ethical argument that establishes your credibility as a speaker.

To move your audience, use an emotional argument that evokes sympathy or humor.

In your introduction, engage your audience and show why your topic matters.

In the body of your speech, develop your ideas point by point.

In your conclusion, restate your thesis and issue a call to action, or urgent request that your audience do something or think in a new way.

Rhetorical Questions: questions asked for effect, not to get information.

Parallel Structure: repeated grammatical patterns that create balance and emphasis.

• Characterization: using evaluative language, such as "essential" or "unfair" to classify a position or a situation

• Irony: pointing out incongruities

• Dialogue: relating conversations or quoting directly from sources